Anger

Anger is a core emotion all humans feel and recognize. Everyone has a story of the last time they were angry about something. Anger is common and what we get angry about is plentiful. Anger can be released through an uproar of emotion or can be internalized and used as fuel in pursuit of something positive. How anger is dealt with is entirely individually based while also being individually dependent on the situation. Some situations cause anger for long periods of time while others can be categorized as mere annoyances. Anger is a real emotion we will encounter if we live on Earth.

Anger is shaped by the perspective of a situation just as much as it is by the actual situation. If someone does not open the door for you, you could choose to be angry about it. Or, you could think from their shoes and understand they could not have seen you or could have been in a hurry. A minor situation, with a minor perspective change, can save you from meaningless anger in your day. If you think you are being forced into a situation, you have every right to feel angry about that. Or, you can try and think from the other person’s perspective to see where they are coming from. By thinking from their perspective, you can try and dissipate the anger you feel.

The emotion of anger can be dangerous if dealt with the wrong way. Rash, emotionally charged, decisions often stem from bouts of anger. Committing crimes, saying something you should not say, and doing actions you will regret, can all be drawn back to the original emotion of anger. Think before you act when you are angry. If you cannot come to terms with what is causing you anger, if you cannot see the other perspective, you still need to take deep breaths to get your emotions under control. You can think what you want but once you act, you cannot necessarily take back what you do. Anger is an emotion that causes problems if used incorrectly.

Stored anger can be used as motivation. Internalizing when people doubt you or do something wrong to you sparks a fire inside that promotes great action. You feel angry that you are doubted and want to prove them wrong. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He surely felt angry and wronged. He used these emotions to work harder and ultimately become one of the best basketball players of all time. There are countless examples of people using the feelings, actions, and words of others as motivation to achieve.

We cannot avoid anger if we are alive. We can handle and interpret anger differently, but it will be present in our lives. Instead of letting anger control our actions or words, we must let our actions and words control our anger.